Permanent well completion apparatus



Oct. 10, 1961 G. H. TAUscH ET AL PERMANENT WELL COMPLETION APPARATUS Filed June 4, 1956 nu!!! {in} ninannllfnanflnnnnnnannnnn.

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41 14 xm H INVENTORS. John W. Kenneday, Gilbert H. Tausch.

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llnited tatesf` 3,003,563 PERMANENT WELL COMPLETION APPARATUS Gilbert H. Tausch and .lohn W. Kcnneday, Houston, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 4, 1956, Ser. No. 589,281

4 Claims. (Cl. 166-7-114) This invention is directed to permanent well completion apparatus for working over and servicing a plurality of hydrocarbon productive intervals.

In permanent well completion operations, tubing strings are set permanently during the life of the well and various producing, Workoverand servicing operations are performed through these permanently set tubing strings. The workover and servicing operations generally performed on permanently completed wells include squeeze cementing operations wherein existing perforations below the lower end of the tubing are cemented oil, perforating or reperforating by means of wireline Iguns at the same or different producing Zones or intervals, sand washing operations, acidizing operations, and other remedial work. A full discussion of permanent well completion operations is described in Permanent-Type Well Completions, World Oil, March 1954.

Briey, this invention comprises apparatus for Working over and servicing a cased borehole penetrating a plurality of spaced apart hydrocarbon productive intervals having two parallelly extending spaced apart tubing strings arranged therein, the lower open ends of which are positioned above the uppermost of the productive intervals, which comprises upper packing means positioned on the tubing strings adapted to seal o the space o1' annulus between the tubing strings and the casing; second packing means are provided with spaced apart bores therethrough and are positioned in the borehole between the uppermost productive interval and a lower productive interval adapted to seal ott the space between the bores and the casing; and means engaging with the bores are adapted to control the fluid ilow employed in the Workover and servicing operations in permanent Well completion work.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional View of the well with the apparatus arranged therein for producing operations.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the well wherein the apparatus is arranged -for working over and servicing an upper producing interval.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the well wherein the positioning of the apparatus is modified for working over the upper productive zone.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the well wherein the apparatus is positioned for working over and servicing a lower productive zone.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein identical numerals designate identical parts, FIGS. 1 through 4 disclose a borehole 1li penetrating a plurality of productive zones or intervals 11 and 12. A casing 13 is arranged in the borehole and cemented thereby by means of cement 14.

A dual wellhead assembly 15 is positioned at the surface of the earth 16 and has suspended or connected thereto two parallelly extending tubing strings 17 and 1,8. These tubing strings 17 and 18 are permanently set in the Well according to permanent Well completion practice. The tubing strings 17 and 18 are provided with a dual bore packer 19 adjacent their lower open ends which seals oil the space or annulus A between the tubing strings and the casing 13. The tubing strings 17 and 18 are each provided with landing nipples 20 and 21, respectively. These 311113563 atented Oct. 10, 1961 landing nipples may be of any desirable type for supporting tubular extension members such as the landing nipple disclosed in the Composite Catalog, vol. I, (1952-1953), 19th edition, on page 40163. The well casing is provided with a lower dual packer 22 positioned between upper and lower productive zones 11 and 12, respectively. This packer is provided with bores 23 and 24 extending therethrough.

The dual wellhead assembly 15 provides a fluid passage or conduit 30 communicating with tubing suing 17 and a fluid passage or conduit 31 communicating with tubing string 18. The annulus A between the tubing string and the casing uidly communicates with a tluid passage or conduit 32. on the surface of the earth. Suitable valving is provided in these passages to control the flow of iluids therethrough.

A wireline reel 35, as shown in FIG. 4, is connected to,

a wireline 36 and a wireline tool 37 to indicate the means for effecting the lowering and removal of the various apparatuses employed in the workover operations.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, the bore 23 of the lower packer is provided with a retrievable plug 40; Plug 4t) is provided with a lishing tool head 41 and packing means 421, which may suitably be O-rings, adapted to seal oli the space between the plug and the bore Z3. Tubing string 17 is provided with a tubular extension member 45 which extends from the lower end of tubing string 17 through the other bore 24 of the lower dual packer 22. The tubular extension member 45 is provided with anchoring means 46 adjacent its upper end for engaging with the landing nipple 20 upon which it is supported. The anchoring means 46 may suitably be expansible dogs, latching devices, etc. The anchoring means is also provided with sealing means 47 for sealing olf the space between the tubular extension 45 and the tubing string 17. The lower end of the tubular extension member 45 adjacent packer 22 is also provided with sealing means 43, which may be O-rings, and is adapted to seal off the annulus between the bore Z4 and the tubular member 45.

FIG. 1 discloses the apparatus arranged for producing from the productive zones 11 and 12. The arrows indicate the direction of flow. Production from the lower zone 12 iiows into casing 13 up the tubular extension 45 into tubing string 17 and into iluid passage Sill in the dual wellhead assembly 15. Production from the upper zone 11 llows into casing 13 and thence into tubing string 18 and then into fluid passage 31 in the dual wellhead assembly 15.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the apparatus is arranged similarly as in FIG. l; however, the tubular extension member 45 has been replaced by a bull plug tubular extension member 5l). Tubular extension member 5d is closed oli at the lower end as at 51 and is provided with perforations 52 above lower packer 22. and preferably adjacent the upper Zone 111. As in lFIG. 1, the tubular extension member 50 is supported in landing nipple 2G and is sealed olf at the landing nipple 201 and in the lower packer bore 24. This arrangement of apparatus is employed for performing workover and servicing operations of the upper zone. For example, circulating fluid, as shown by the arrows, llows from iluid passage 31 down tubing string 18 through perforations 52, up tubular extension 50 into tubing string 17 and thence out uid passage 39. This type of ilow may be employed in cementing ott or plugging the upper perforated zone and then for reverse circulating the excess cement from adjacent the upper zone 11. The circulating liuid operation including the cementing technique may be suitably that such as described in Permanent-Type Well Completions, World Oil, Mach 1954, noted supra. The lluid employed may be a cement slurry such as that described in the patent to Salathiel, U..S. 2,482,459; or the iluid may be an acid such as a mineral acid; or the fluid may be a fracturing iiuid such as that described in French Patent 987,352 published August 13, 1951; or the iiuid may be a washing iluid such as water. The type of fluid to be used being dependent upon the type of operation desired.

FIG. 3 shows a modified arrangement of the apparatus for working over the upper zone. In this instance a retrievable plug 40 is positioned or arranged in each of the bores 23 and 24 thereby plugging ofrr the lower production zone 12. A tubular extension member 53 extends downwardly from the landing nipple 20 in tubing string 17 to adjacent the upper productive zone 11. As shown by the arrows, the direction of iluid ow is preferably down tubing string 18 and up the tubular extension member 53 into tubing string 17 and out fluid passage 30'. As in FIG. 2, this reverse circulation method of operation is adaptable for use in any of the workover operations described supra.

FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of apparatus for working over and servicing the lower Zone. In this instance a tubular extension member 55 is sealingly supported on landing nipple 21 in tubing string 18 and extends downwardly and into bore 23 of the lower packer 22. The lower end of tubular extension member 5S, similarly to the previous embodiments, is provided with packing 48 to sealingly engage with the bore 23. A tubular extension member 56 is supported in landing nipple 20 of tubing string 17. This tubular extension member 56 extends downwardly through bore 24 of the lower packer 22 and is provided with suitable packing 48 to sealingly close ott the space therebetween. The lower open end of extension member 56 is positioned adjacent the lower productive zone 12. The iiow of fluid for performing the workover operations in lower Zone 12 is preferably down tubing 18 through tubular extension 55 and thence up tubular member 56 into tubing string 17 and out iluid passage 30.

In operation, the well is produced with the apparatus positioned as shown in FIG. 1 until one of the zones, for example, production from upper zone 11, becomes uneconomical. When this occurs the tubular extension member 45 is retrieved from the well by means of the wireline reel, wireline, and wireline tools 35, 36, and 37, respectively, and replaced by the wireline means with tubular extension 50 (FIG. 2). When tubular extension 50 is in position the upper zone 11 may be sealed oi by ilowing cement slurry down tubing string 18. The excess cement may be reverse-circulated out by circulating wash fluid down tubing 13 through the perforations 52 and up tubing string 17, as noted supra. In the FlG. 3 modification the tubular extension 45 is remove by the wireline means and a plug 40 is lowered by means of the wireline elements and positioned in bore 24 of the lower packer 22. Then the tubular extension member 53 is lowered through tubing string 17 and landed on landing nipples 20. This effectively seals oi the lower zone 12 and permits various workover operations to be performed on the upper zone 11 similarly to the rFIG. 2 embodiment.

In FIG. 4 workover of the lower zone may be effected by removing plug 4) from the bore 23 of the lower packer 22 by means of the wireline elements through tubing string 1S. The tubular extension 55 is then lowered by means of the wireline elements through tubing string 18, landed on landing nipple 21 and sealingly positioned in bore 23 of the lower packer. Tubular extension member 4S is then removed by means of the wireline apparatus through tubing string 17 and is replaced by tubular eX- tension member 56 which is landed on landing nipple 20 of tubing string 17 and sealingly extends through bore 24 of the lower packer 22; the lower end of tubular extension 56 extending to adjacent the lower productive Zone 12. The workover operations can then be performed on the lower zone since the upper zone has been effectively sealed off.

Circulation ports 25 and 26 may be provided on tubing strings 18 and 17, respectively, above the upper dual bore packer 19. These circulation ports may be employed to provide circulation between the space between the tubing strings and the casing to wash out mud, etc. in the casing, or for any other desired purpose. These ports may be suitably arranged as the gas lift valve ports as shown and described in the Composite Catalog, 20th ed., 1954-1955, vol. I on page 995; the ports also may be sealed ott by means of wireline blanks, as described in that reference. In the operations described herein these ports are maintained sealed off.

The advantages and usefulness of the invention are apparent; the numerous advantages provided by permanent well completion technique such as setting tubing strings permanently, using wireline tools, etc. are herein adapted to dual completions wherein two or more productive zones may be selectively or simultaneously produced.

Having fully described the objects, operation and apparatus of this invention, We claim as our invention:

l. Apparatus for producing a cased borehole penetrating a plurality of spaced-apart hydrocarbon productive intervals comprising two parallel, eccentric, co-extensive, spaced-apart tubing strings arranged in said borehole, the lower open ends of said tubing strings being positioned above the uppermost of said productive intervals, first packing means positioned on said tubing strings adjacent the lower ends thereof adapted to seal oft the space between said tubing strings and said casing, second packing means provided with two spaced-apart bores therethrough positioned in said borehole between said uppermost productive interval and a lower productive interval adapted to seal off the space between the walls of said bores and said casing, a plug positioned in one of said bores adapted to prevent tluid flow through said bore and a tubing extension sealingly supported in one of said tubing strings and extending through said other bore, said tubing extension sealingly engaging with the wall of said other bore and being open ended whereby production uids from said lower interval are isolated from production fluids from said upper interval, said uids from said lower interval ilowing upwardly through said tubing extension and through said one tubing string and fluids from said upper interval ilowing upwardly through said other tubing string.

2. Apparatus for working over and servicing a cased borehole penetrating a plurality of spaced-apart hydrocarbon productive intervals comprising two parallel, eccentric, co-extensive, spaced-apart, tubing strings arranged in said borehole, the lower open ends of said tubing strings being positioned above the uppermost of said productive intervals, trst packing means positioned on said tubing strings adjacent the lower ends thereof adapted to seal olf the space between said tubing strings and said casing, second packing means provided with two spaced-apart bores therethrough positioned in said `borehole between said uppermost productive interval and a lower productive interval adapted to seal oit the space between the walls of said bores and said casing, a plug positioned in one of said bores adapted to prevent fluid iiow through said bore and a tubing extension sealingly supported in one of said `tubing strings and extending through said other bore, said tubing extension sealingly engaging with the wall of said other bore and being open at its upper end, closed at its lower end, yand provided with perforations adjacent said uppermost interval whereby said upper and lower intervals are isolated from each other and circulation of fluids for working over said upper interval is down said other tubing string, through said perforations in said tubing extension, up said tubing extension, and up said one tubing string.

3. Apparatus for working over and servicing a cased borehole penetrating a plurali-ty of spaced-apart hydrov carbon productive intervals comprising two parallel, eccentric, co-extensive, spaced-apart tubing strings arranged in said borehole, the lower open ends of said tubing strings being positioned above the uppermost of said productive intervals, irst packing means positioned on said tubing strings adjacent the lower ends thereof adapted to sea-l off the space between said tubing strings and said casing, second packing means provided with two spaced-apart Ibores therethrough positioned in said borehole between said uppermost productive interval and a lower productive interval adapted to seal olf the space between the walls `of said bores and said casing, a plug arranged in each of said bores adapted to close off uid How through said bores, and an open ended tubing extension sealingly supported in one of said tubing strings and extending to adjacent said uppermost interval whereby said upper and lower intervals are isolated from each other and flow of fluids for working over said upper interval is down said `other tubing string, up said tubing extension, and up said one tubing string.

4. Apparatus yfor working over and servicing a cased borehole penetrating a plurality of spaced-apart hydrocarbon productive intervals comprising two parallel, eccentric, co-extensive, spaced-apart tubing strings arranged in said borehole, the lower open ends of said tubing strings being positioned above the uppermost of said productive intervals, first packing means positioned on said tubing strings adjacent Ithe lower ends thereof adapted to seal olf the space between said tubing strings and said casing, second packing means provided with spacedapart bores therethrough positioned in said borehole between said uppermost productive interval and a lower productive interval adapted to seal olf the space between the walls of said Ibores and said casing, a first openended tubing extension sealingly supported in one of said tubing strings and extending through one of said -bores anda second open-ended tubular extension sealingly supported in `said other tubing and extending through said other bore, said tubing extensions sealingly engaging with said bores whereby said upper `and lower intervals are isolated from each other and circulation of fluid for working over said lower interval is down said one tubing string, `down said tirst tubing extension, up said second tubing extension and up said other tubing string.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,578 Tausch Aug. 28, 1956 2,772,738 Tausch Dec. 4, 1956 2,785,754 True Mar. 19, 1957 

